03 December 2025
3 - 5 pm UTC+8 | 7 - 9 am UTC
Asia Sustainable Travel and Wise Steps Group are coming together to introduce an online summit series to make sense of the forces and events shaping the nexus of sustainability and the future of travel across Asia and beyond.
Will AI Drive or Derail the Sustainable Travel Transformation?
03 December 2025
3 - 5 pm (UTC+8) | 7 - 9 am UTC
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology are transforming travel, empowering hotels to optimize operations and deliver razor-sharp occupancy forecasts. Yet, its rising energy and water demands also raise a pressing question: how do we innovate responsibly without compromising the planet?
Join us at the inaugural Asia Travel Future Summit for a deep dive into this question with the sharpest thinkers and leaders in travel, technology, and sustainability.
Program
Subject to change
Welcome Remark + Keynote Fireside Chat
15:00
Panel Discussion: Driving Sustainability-Led Operational Excellence Through Human-AI Collaboration
15:20
Panel Discussion: Navigating AI-Driven Data Collection and Marketing Responsibly
16:05
Closing Remark + Q & A
16:50
Speakers Lineup
Check back often as we continue to add more speakers to the line up.
Chris Legaspi
Archipelago International
Chief Commercial Officer
Chris Legaspi is the Chief Commercial Officer at Archipelago International, a leading revenue management, distribution, and digital transformation across more than 200 hotels. During his MBA at the Asian Institute of Management, he created FluxRate, an in-house revenue management and forecasting platform that earned a perfect score as his capstone project and is now used across Archipelago’s portfolio.
Currently pursuing his Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) at AIM, Chris’s research focuses on how budget hotels adopt and adapt revenue management practices through bricolage, the automation–augmentation paradox, and dynamic capabilities. His work examines how technology enhances, not replaces, human decision-making.
Dimitri Syrris
Baotree
Founder & CEO
Guided by a belief that data is the new currency for sustainability and community upliftment, Dimitri’s work unites tech tools, behavioural design, and empathy to drive a new era of accountable, regenerative tourism.
Today, as the Founder & CEO of Baotree, Dimitri is revolutionizing how the tourism sector measures, manages, and communicates sustainability impact. Baotree’s platform blends human-centred design with emerging AI capabilities to make sustainability measurable, transparent, and meaningful—from remote safari lodges to global groups and their foundations.
Benjamin Lephilibert
Lightblue
CEO & Founder
Benjamin is a passionate food waste expert and the founder & CEO of Lightblue, a UN-awarded tech and consultancy company established in 2012. He has dedicated his career to tackling food waste globally, supporting hotel groups, restaurants, government agencies, and international organizations in reducing waste and improving operational efficiency.
Benjamin is the designer of the award-winning FIT Food Waste Tech and co-founder of The PLEDGE on Food Waste, an international certification program.
He has trained over 5,000 culinary professionals and led more than 500 food waste prevention projects across 30+ countries, translating insights into measurable impact.
Tara Schwenk
Lemongrass Marketing
Senior Director of Digital Strategy
At Lemongrass Marketing, Tara is responsible for creating and executing marketing strategies to convert and engage, both online and offline. A seasoned speaker, Tara has presented the agency at PURE, Swiss Deluxe Media Summit, ABTA, and BrightonSEO on a range of content and SEO related topics.
Passionate about sustainability in travel, Tara actively promotes eco-conscious initiatives and is a proud member of the Conscious Travel Foundation's Philanthropy Committee.
Matteo Bierschneider
Wise Steps Group
Co-Founder
Matteo Bierschneider is a social entrepreneur, sustainable tourism strategist and co-founder of the Indonesia-based group Wise Steps Group, comprising Wise Steps Foundation (rural community-led development), Wise Steps Consulting (destination-focused advisory) and Sejiva (industry-oriented operations). Based in Indonesia and holding German nationality, Matteo blends cross-cultural fluency with a boots-on-the-ground mindset, connecting global strategy with deep local insight.
Rhea Vitto Tabora
Asia Sustainable Travel
Co-Founder
With over 20 years of leadership in hospitality sales, marketing, and PR in Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines, Rhea helps hotels drive responsible growth. She advises hotels on content and storytelling to increase direct bookings and strengthen brand preference by aligning sustainability goals with growth objectives. A certified Meaningful Tourism trainer and travel journalist, Rhea also shares insights as a speaker, championing a vision where tourism delivers lasting value for all stakeholders.
Fernanda Rodak
Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)
Manager – Sustainability and Social Responsibility
Fernanda is a sustainability expert and tourism strategist specialising in resilience, innovation, and capacity development across the Asia Pacific. At PATA – a leading travel and tourism membership association with nearly 75 years of legacy in the region – she oversees multi-country initiatives that strengthen destination readiness, promote sustainable business practices, and enhance the capabilities of tourism organisations, governments, and SMEs. Her work spans policy advisory, programme design, sustainability standards, and the integration of digital and data-driven approaches into tourism development.
Julie Cheetham
Chief Operations Officer
Travalyst
Julie is the COO of Travalyst, the independent not-for-profit working to change the way the world travels – for good. Founded in 2019 by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Travalyst is a global coalition of some of the biggest brands in travel and technology working together to get trusted sustainability information into the hands of travellers globally. Julie is a skilled business and sustainability leader with more than 20 years of experience. She was part of the initial group of thought leaders to found Weeva – a sustainability management solution. Prior to its closure, Weeva grew to a global, multi-award-winning business used in 86 countries. Her career has spanned across financial services, business improvement and consulting with a strong focus on sustainable business development.
Secure your spot
The online summit is free to attend.
We are on a mission to democratize sustainability knowledge and empower every voice in the conversation. As small businesses, we rely on the strength of our community.
Your contribution is a vital partnership that enables us to continue delivering insightful, high-quality conversations that drive real change.
50% of your contributions will directly support traceable social and environmental initiatives.
AST Trailblazer and contributors of USD 25 or more will receive:
Access to the summit recording
A complimentary AI-Powered Marketing playbook to get ahead of the curve
Credit Card Payment
Mobile Payment
For Apple Wallet, Cash App Pay and Alipay, please use this QR code below
If you’re in Indonesia, please use this QR code below
Sponsorship opportunities
As a sponsor, you’ll have the chance to share your expertise and insights on stage and highlight your brand across our global channels.
Email our team at people@asiasustainabletravel.com.
Your participation helps power real change.
By attending, you’re doing more than joining the conversation; you’re taking action.
50% of your contributions will directly support traceable social and environmental initiatives.
If you love what they’re doing, we encourage you to continue supporting these incredible organizations beyond this summit.
Previous AST Events
Phuket, Thailand
Manila, Philippines
Ha Noi, Vietnam
